Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-10
MY new MODEL.
"Anchor Cottage, Stillworth,
BY ANNIE MARY BELL.

fore / proceed any farther however. let
me beSeech you not to imagine that
am writing myself happy at the ex-
pense Of truth. | am really enjoying
myself, and feel very contented with
my lot just now / know that accord
ing to human experience such feeling
will not last, and, when the novelty
and change have worn away, / shall
begin to sigh after lost pleasures but
that IS still TO come. [ have settled
down very easily to the rural isolation
and quietness of Stillworth. which
plainly denotes the fact that. if you
have taken our stately grandmere, I
have most certainly taken after placid
aunt Prissy, for she and L are living to-
gether like two amiable Tables.
"StillWorth is everything to be de-
sired, and in no way falls short of my
expectations. I shall not attempt to
describe it with my pen; but | have al
ready heaps Of sketches with which
from time to time / shall deluge you.
1 believe [ gave you an outline of my
ambitious venture, The Fisher-Lad,'
which / had commenced in town. /
have discovered most desirable mod
ell, and | have great hopes of being able
to finish the picture soon. All this
meandering is far apart from my de-
termination to give you full and par
ticular account of all events, so / will
get back to the commencement and
give you full details.
Con that same Wednesday, then,
that saw us parted, |, with placid aunt
Prissy and our discreet handmade Han
nah, after a journey Of about four
hours, found myself at Elcomb Station.
Having MADE arrangements for our
luggage to be sent on, we were con-
veyed in an antedhuvian vehicle to
Anchor Cottage.
anchor Cottage is very diminutive;
but its resources were revealed as time
went on, and we are now very COM
Portable. We went to bed early that
night to sleep off the effects of our jolt
ing, and the next morning / was out
and exploring the neighborhOod at s
O'Clock. Can you, most lazy of mOrtals,
imagine it? How enjoyable it was as
/ rambled on, with delightful sense
of freshness and pleasure in everything
/ SaW The strong invigorating breeze
sent the waves on the beach in little
ripples Of foam, played its will with
my hair, and in one unguarded moment
carried away my hat. Even this did
not stop my enjoyment, for, making an
imprOmptu bonnet with my handker-
chief, I continued to fight my way
against the wind, stopping only now
and again to watch some new object of
interest.
Meanwhile time was getting on, and
aunt Prissy would be waiting break
fast; so [ determined to hasten back. [
soon discovered that Ihad lost my way,
and in which direction to turn to reach
Anchor Cottage / had not the fainteSt
notion; so [ left the cliffs and made to-
Of Cb no
standing together on the beach near an
overturned boat.
"They turned to me as [ paused near
them, and one young fellow who was
leaning against the boat, smoking a
disreputable black pipe, Strengthened
himself up, and raised one hand as
though to remove his cap; but, with q
lazy sort of a smile, he fell back into
his old position, and took the pipe from
his mouth instead.
Il moved up closer, and after eX-
changing Good morning with them,
inquired the way to Anchor Cottage.
"'Want Widow Miccles's cottage, do
you, miSsP asked one gruff-voiced
man. You've come long way from
there
"'Oh, dearl' 1 said vexedly, for I was
beginning to feel the effects of my
ramble.
"'You see that black speck over
there, miss?' the man went on. We'll,
Widow MiccleS lives near about there
Il heaved heavy sigh at this infor-
nation
(Which is the nearest way?' I asked
YEARLY
"The fisherman began to point out to
me, when the young fellow interrupted
with
81 can take you there in a boat if
you're tired, miss - in a peculiar
tWanging voice.
could you?' I exclaimed joyfu1ly.
i should be SO thankfully
Tits easy enOugh-I'm going that
way and he turned to the sea, one of
the men following to help him with the
boat.
'The old fisherman who had first
spoken to me looked after him, and
then grinned at his companions, as if
something had vastly amused him.
The others grinned in return, and one
stuck his tongue in his cheek; but, see
ing that [ was looking at him, he an
nounced very gravely that the boat was
ready.
1T did not look ready, to my eyes,
being too far away from the shore; but
/ did not display my nautical knowl-
edge by saying so. Inc young nSher-
man who was to be my boatman was
standing in the water by the size of
the boat. When approached he waded
out.
"'You will have to be carried he
said laconically. Saunders, hold the
boat-Tll bring the young lady
without more ado, he caught me up
as though [ were baby, and the next
minute l was safely in the boat.
THANK you,' | said gaspingly, being
rather f1ustered by this summary pro-
.ceeding.
Push Off" cried my boatman,
clambering in.
Accordingly two of the men pushed
us off; and, with Good morning,
miss from each, we started on our
short voyage.
Sitting facing my boatman, and
studying his very handsome face, Twas
filled with longing to have him as q
model for my EFisher-Lad.' How ]
wished just then for pencil and paper
that [ might sketch him as he was be-
fore me, rowing with steady strong
strokes! The dark determined face
was exactly what I wanted. Won
dered whether he knew how well the
l.